We've reported here extensively on the thousands of extra-judicial killings by Thailand police of supposed drug offenders during the regime of now-deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Following the coup which took Thaksin out of power, a government panel prompted by calls from human rights organizations determined that most of Thaksin's murder victims were not even involved with drugs.
Recently the Thai government voted to bring the monsters back into power by electing Thaksin crony Samak Sundaravej as the new prime minister. He has already shown his stripes -- reporting from the Associated Press, via Drug WarRant:
New Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej insisted Friday that he is not a puppet of deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra, despite having boasted during campaigning that he was Thaksin's proxy. [...] Samak also said the new government will reintroduce Thaksin's controversial approach to combatting drug trafficking, defending the "drug war" conducted by Thaksin's government that led to the death of about 2,500 people in 2003-2004. [...] Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that the ministry would launch a tough anti-drug campaign, particularly in border areas, that will yield results within 90 days.How many drug war murders will Sundaravej commit? Have some Thai police officers already taken the encouragement to resume the rampage?
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